Bass-bar of violins.



No.66|,4|2. Patented Nov. 6, |900. L. LWENTHAL.

BASS BAR 0F VloLms. (Application medmy 12, 1906.1

-ld QXMINRWML I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS LWENTHAL, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

BASS-BAR OF VlOLlNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661,412, dated November6, 1900.

Application filed May l2, 1900. Serial No. 16,477. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs LWEN'IHAL, manufacturer, a subject of theEmperor of Germany, residing at Berlin, in the Province of Brandenburg,Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bass- ]-arsor Sounding-Bars of Violins and the Like, of which the following is afull, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention has reference to bass-bars or sounding-bars foraugmenting the tone of bow-played string instruments, and which consistof a baror rib arranged on the sounding-board or belly inside andlengthwise ofthe instrument. Such bars have hitherto been made solid;but in this invention, with the object of producing a finer and fullertone than is obtainable with solid bars, such bars are provided withholes, in which are iiXed hollow cross pieces of any convenientcross-sectionsuch as cylindrical, triangular, &c.-thus forming abranched system which vibrates with the sound-waves.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurelis a side view of the sounding-bar; Fig. 2, a top View of the same.Fig. 3 is a top view of the sounding-bar, representing` a modifiedconstruction of the sounding-tubes- Fig. 4c is a vertical sectionthrough a violin, representing the arrangement of the sounding-bar onthe sounding-board or belly inside and lengthwise of the instrument.

d, Fig. 4t, represents a violin, and e the sounding-board or belly ofthe same.

a is a sounding-bar attached in any convenient manner lengthwise on theinside of the sounding-board or belly e. The mentioned sounding-bar isprovided with a number of holes o, in which are fixed as sound-catchershollow cross-pieces of any convenient crossL section, preferablycylindrical or conical, thus forming a branched system which vibrateswith the sound-waves. These cross pieces can be arranged in all or onlypart of the holes, according to the tune desired, and either be hollowor solid.

By means of this new sounding-bar provided with holes arranged accordingto strict acoustical calculations the sounding-waves of the bar areaugmented to such an extent that not only the tone tune of theinstrument becomes much louder and fuller, but also the rough and sharpcoloration of the sound is moderated. Besides this the three opensoundcatchers arranged in the holes according to correct measures ofacoustics are ol great benet to the sound-waves, because they augmentthe vibration of the sounding-bar and transfer the gal/t of the soundupon all four strings.

I claiml. The combination with a bass-bar provided with openings, ofhollow cross-pieces fixed in said openings and extending beyond thesides of the bar.

2. The combination with a bass-bar provided with transverse openings ofhollow cross-pieces secured in said openings and extending at rightangles beyond the sides oi' the bar.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

LoUIs LwEN'rI-IAL.

Vitnesses:

HENRY HAsPER, WOLDEIIAE HAUPT.

